Bad Romance
by Agatha-Naomi
Summary: Akito and Shigure, as they live out their bizarre romance.
1. Waiting

AN: Enjoy!

Akito rubbed her face tiredly, glancing once again at the clock. Cursing herself violently she turned her face back into her pillow. Why the hell should she be looking at the clock? Shigure would be home from his book signing when he was home.

So why the hell was she waiting up for him? It was nearly ten. Perhaps she had finally gone insane. Oh, wait, she already gotten that out of the way. Shigure had told her once that everyone seriously loses their sanity once in their life. Maybe it's for the best that she got it out of the way early.

Yeah, right. To be fair she was getting better. She hadn't locked anyone in a room since Rin, no recent stabbings. Although she did throw things when she was angry. It really just got the point across.

Is he really still not home? He said he'd be home at about ten, and it was ten thirty. Where was he? Maybe he's doing something stupid. Oh! He must have gone to buy cigarrettes. That's why he late.

Akito frowned as she remembered that he didn't smoke anymore. He had quit when she moved in, saying it would be bad for her asthma if he smoked around her. It had actually been quite a sweet gesture. He had been awfully grumpy while he weened himself off, and she had been touched enough with his effort, to make it worth his while.

There were so many fun ways to distract a man. At that moment the chirp off a locking car door and the click of the front door opening cued her lover's entrance. In a few short moments he was plopping gracelessly beside her.

"You forgot to lock the door. That's not very safe." Shigure chided.

"I'm perfectly able to take care of myself." She countered smugly, snuggling into her pillow once more.

"You can't be alert to danger if your'e sleeping. Unless you purposefully stayed awake." Shigure murmured slickly.

"And just why the hell would I do that?" Akito snapped her head up and glared at him.

"Naturally in order to see me when I got home."

"That's silly."

"Isn't it though? Although I understand, I am worth waiting for." Shigure chuckled.

"Perhaps. But are you worth loosing sleep?"

"How about this? Tonight I will insure that you get no sleep, and you tell me if it's worth it."

"I'd say we have a bargain."

AN: Tehe! Cute eh? R/R please!


	2. Fool

Bad Romance

AN: Thanks to all who reviewed! Enjoy!

Shigure stretched and yawned, setting aside his draft. He loved the freedom of being a writer, even if deadlines tended to sneak up on him. Glancing around, he caught sight of several cardboard boxes and smirked. Akito really was going to move in, wasn't she? Naturally, she had resisted at first, afraid of leaving her dark fortress. Nervous without the fragments of memory that haunted the main house's hallways. With the curse broken, everyone had left for another path. Everyone had ventured off to search for jobs, to look for life. To celebrate each other. There was nothing left for Akito at the house, just the hushed gossip of the family maids.

So she had eventually agreed to move in with him. She seemed unsure of this new freedom. Some nights she was so different, flirtatious, curious. It was a side of her that he had thought long gone. She was the little girl with the loving father, the child she used to be. More days than not she was the same. Angry, jaded and melancholy. She was still terribly lonely, still mad at the world and still reeling with guilt for her sins. Strangely Shigure didn't really care. She was a mess, but she was a smart mess. She had ruined so many things and she wanted his support as she tried to put it all back together. Bravery like that was undeniable.

At that moment the door swung forth, revealing the object of his affection. Akito huffed and hung up her coat, seeming very irritated indeed.

Shigure would have inquired as to why she was annoyed, but he knew it was just a normal temperament for her. Besides if he really needed to know the source of her upset she'd tell him.

"I hate the family maids."

See, there you go.

"I take it they weren't happy." Shigure chuckled. No one was staying at the main house anymore. Ren had been gloating about the curse ending, and Akito had advised her {rather forcefully} to leave. When Akito moved in with him, the house would be completely empty. Thus, there was no further need for maids. Akito had just met with them to tell them this.

"They were very irritated and had the audacity to criticize my judgement."

"How unfortunate. I suppose it's all for the best." Shigure murmured, studying her. She looked scared, which was not what he was expecting. Then again it made sense.

Akito had finally broken the last toxic connection. This wasn't just about leaving a house. This meant that she was definitely moving in with him. Moving on with her life. She couldn't go back now, and she felt trapped. He lifted her up and deposited her gently in his lap. Her weight was inconsequential. She was such complex and strange soul and yet she was so delicately small.

"They were angry that you kicked Ren out? In a perfect world, all children would adore their parents, but this isn't a perfect world."

"She doesn't belong. Perhaps she'll be happier out of my presence."

"She's a fool." He whispered with determination.

"She's unhinged. Promiscuous. Cruel. But she's not stupid, Shigure, I wish she were."

Shigure rested his head on her hair, breathing her in and considering his response. Ren had doubted the bond as being a wonderful thing, and said Akito clung to it too fiercely. She was right about that. But her lies were vast.

"Ren told me once that I couldn't possibly love you." He felt her entire frame tense. The slender arms returning his embrace tightened almost painfully.

"Ren is a fool."

AN: R/R please!


	3. Sick As A Dog

Bad Romance

AN: Thanks to all reviewed! Enjoy!

"I told you this would happen." Akito chided. Shigure gave her a halfhearted glare and returned to the task at hand. Vomiting, to be exact.

"Shigure, you need to stop thinking you're indestructible. You can't refuse a flu shot and be around sick people and not expect to get sick."

"You were the one that kept calling me. 'Oh Shigure I threw up again, come keep me company.'"

"I didn't sound like that." Akiti huffed. "In any case I was ill, and you should have stayed away from me."

"I don't like staying away from you." Shigure pointed out fondly.

"Well then stop complaining that I got you sick." Akito scolded.

"Fine I'll stop. Besides, I already know that you feel bad for getting me sick." Shigure wiped his mouth and sauntered out. Well, it would have been a saunter if he wasn't tipping dizzily to the side.

"I don't feel bad for getting you sick." She insisted.

"Then why do you keep following me every time I go to throw up? You can say what you want but you feel bad for me." He plopped gracelessly into their bed.

"Whatever you say."

"Akito."

"What?"

"Rub my stomach."

"Absolutely not."

"I rubbed yours when I was sick." Shigure murmured slyly.

"If you're insisting on getting comfort, it'll be on my terms. It seems a bit childish for a grown man to ask for a 'tummy rub."

"But I was the dog. Dogs love tummy rubs."

"I was God. I had ultimate authority."

"Akito."

"What?"

"Dog is God backwards."

"What the hell does that prove?"

"Not sure." He laughed.

"You're delusional. Your fever is surely damaging your head. Stay right there and don't be stupid. I'm getting the thermometer." Akito stomped out and within seconds heard laughter.

"Why would you take my temperature if you weren't worried that I was sick?"

"I never said I wasn't worried about you. I just said it was your own fault that you got sick."

"Akito."

"Yes, you stupid, childish dog. I will rub your stomach. Now shut the hell up and let me check your temperature."

"Yes Mom."

AN: You know that's how one of them getting sick would go down. :] Can't you feel the love?


	4. Writer's Block

Bad Romance

AN: Enjoy everyone!

"You have writer's block don't you?" Akito wondered aloud. Shigure was staring at his laptop as though he was trying to move it with his mind. Akito snickered at the confused expression he wore. That dumb dog never ceased to amuse her.

"What was your first clue?" He sighed and rubbed his eyes, looking genuinely worn out. Tired. She took pity on him.

"Why are you stuck?" She plopped down on the couch next to him.

"Dialogue's not flowing right." He grumbled moodily. Moody Shigure? Such a strange sight indeed.

"Shigure, the books you write are filthy. How much dialogue could they possibly have?" He chuckled and pulled her further into his side, feeling affectionate.

"Touché my dear. But all books have to have some dialogue. That's what transforms a dirty minded idea into a best seller." Shigure informed her with mock seriousness, winking at her.

"I really don't have a response to that." Akito smirked and surveyed the lines he had written already.

"Perhaps Ayame will have some flowery and sickening dialogue for your characters. Call him."

"Are you purposefully trying to ruin my writing career? With all due respect to Aya, I'd prefer to keep things non-flowery. Perhaps my benevolent princess would have the ideas I need."

"And where is this benevolent princess? I don't know who your talking about. I could help you if push comes to shove." Akito perched herself on his lap with a snort and read the chapter he was struggling with.

"What do you need help with? What are the characters talking about?" She demanded.

"That is precisely when I became stuck." Shigure exclaimed brightly, nestling his face in her warm neck. She pushed him away slightly and scowled at his grinning face.

"You are an idiot Shigure."

"I know."

"I can't assist you if you don't know what you need help with."

"I know. But rest assured that you are still my muse."

"Didn't you say earlier that you didn't like flowery language? You and Ayame are so similar." He laughed at the accusation in her tone.

"Unfortunate isn't it? To know such wonderful men and to be annoyed by them." Shigure mused slyly, hugging her snugly, laughing when she struggled against his firm grasp.

"Yes, how unfortunate that I am constantly bombarded by flirtatious remarks, when I am so obviously taken." She stopped struggling and caved in. Escaping a snuggly Shigure was worse than being a 14th Century peasant trying to escape the Plague.

"Perhaps a break would help me think."

"You have no intention of thinking right now. You just want me to sit on your lap while you throw pretty words at me." Admittedly this wasn't an unpleasant plan, but she had things to do. Then again it was tempting to waste another day away with him.

"Is there anything wrong with that?" He asked her, quite seriously. Sighing as she recalled her long list of chores, she shook her head.

"Finish your book Shigure."

"I'll do my best." He sighed. Walking away, Akito headed into the kitchen, looking to load the dishwasher. She was a damn housewife now, and she was just his girlfriend. There was so much to do. Shigure sighed mournfully from the other room.

"Akito." Oh yes. Cue the sing song voice.

"I have chores Shigure."

"I'm bored."

"You're acting like a child. Finish the chapter."

"Then we can do something fun?"

She laughed and sighed in annoyance.

"You'll see." She said at last. "Finish the chapter and we'll see." How was it that with 8 years on her, she still felt older? Such a strange man.

He made her so happy.


	5. Thanksgiving

Bad Romance

AN: Thanks to all, and enjoy! Happy Thanksgiving!

The Sohma family had always met for New Years, with the exception of anyone who refused to come out of anger at Akito. It wasn't tradition and it wasn't voluntary. It was mandatory, and as such unpleasant. It was not unlike jury duty.

Thanksgiving wasn't a holiday that the Sohma family had ever celebrated before. They had celebrated separately, in favor of having a quiet time. They were the perfect example of a messed up family, complete with assault charges, child abuse, and a little bit of incest between distant cousins. In other words, family dinners could get very complicated, and they usually did.

Tohru had taken it upon herself to cook the dinner, nearly having a panic attack in the process. She seemed to think that a perfect meal would fix everything. In the end Kyo pulled her down to sit before she gave herself a heart attack, and Kagura took over the cooking. People as impatient as she was had trouble in the kitchen. At least the turkey wouldn't burn with her checking it every few minutes. Shigure would have burned the house down.

Mine and Ayame were wearing matching outfits, and Hatori was sitting in the corner with his new girlfriend, telling her not to talk to anyone. She looked terrified and socked, because Yuki, and Kyo; who had momentarily left Tohru's side, were now brawling. They may have gained respect for each other, but they honestly didn't know any other way to interact. So they had started a knock down drag out fight. Nobody seemed to care until they blocked the game on TV.

The former cat and rat only stopped when Mochi and Tohru started freaking out.

Kureno looked nervous as well, and avoided Shigure's eye contact. He didn't look at Akito either. She had kinda stabbed him after all. That created some awkward tension

Rin and Haru were snuggled up together, enjoying each other's company. Both seemed a little awkward being around the entire family. They were both surprisingly shy. Hiro and Kiso were playing in the yard in the snow, laughing and making snow angels. Ritsu was underneath the table, crying for no apparent reason. Kazuma was doing his best to console him.

Shigure stayed by Akito's side, looking pleased with himself. He knew Akito was about to burst from all the pressure. She had created a great deal of family drama, and yet she was still here. Everyone was still here, not because it was mandatory, but because they all wanted to give their dysfunctional little family a chance.

"I'm so proud of you." He murmured, into her ear. He watched as her eyes widened. Akito was trying, really truly trying to make a warm family. They all were.

That's enough for now to be thankful for.

AN: Thanks for reading, and please enjoy!


	6. Forgiven

Bad Romance

AN: It's been so long since I've updated this one! So sorry! Enjoy!

"What are you doing?" Shigure asked, watching his girlfriend writing at the kitchen table. She gave him a sideways look, and wrote faster, making him suspect mischief.

"I'm writing a check." She declared at last. He raised an eyebrow and knew she was convienently leaving some detail out.

"We already paid the bills, Akito." Shigure stated calmly, with the slightest edge of suspicion.

"Yes." She agreed. Shigure looked over her shoulder and blinked.

"You're writing a check to Ren?" The former dog demanded softly, truely dumbfounded. Was this some sort of alternate universe where this daughter and mother got along?

"We agreed when the curse ended that we were going to divide the Sohma family funds between all the Sohma's and pay them a certain amount a month until the money ran out." Akito snapped in a soft whine.

"That way everyone could have some money for their new lives." Shigure added. Where was she going with this?

"I just never realized that your mother was included in that." He added softly.

"She wasn't initially. But she is my mother."

"You've grown Aki-Chan."

"Have I?"

"Yes. But I do fear that you will feel like you owe the family, for a long time, yet."

"Once the money runs out, then I won't have anything else to give them." Akito sealed the check to her mother in an envelope, avoiding Shigure's eyes all the while.

"I didn't mean money. You have already apologized and changed. You owe them nothing more. No matter how awful you used to be to them."

"Is that really true?" The former tyrant demanded softly. He felt her vulnerablity twinge his heartstrings. She was so delicate at heart. So sweet, and at 25 still such a child.

"I've forgiven you," Shigure chided, "And I think it's high time for you to forgive yourself." She offered him a half smile, and walked closer, eventually coming to where he sat. She rested her head on his shoulder from behind.

They stopped talking, because the moment had surpassed the need for speech. Now, they just were. Forgiven and loved.

AN?: Review and hope you enjoyed!


	7. Bindings

Bad Romance

The first time he had ever made love to Akito, it was the summer before she turned sixteen. She was still wounded from the death of her father, and she was starting to change into someone different. She wasn't yet the person that was able to stab Kureno, the angry young woman that was able to do such malicious harm to others. But she sure as hell wasn't the innocent little girl who wanted nothing more than her father's love. She was smack dab in between. She had gone through so much these last few years. When she was sweet, when she was bitter and when she raged, all the same she was his. He wouldn't change that, or her, for the world.

He had never felt guilty for wanting her, despite the age difference, despite all the cruel punishment that they inflicted upon each other. Feeling bad for wanting her, desiring her, was ridiculous. It was such a strong attraction that there was no sense in denying it. It was instinctual. It was by no means a choice. It was a curse within a curse to love someone so completely, and with such dire consequences. And he enjoyed every bittersweet moment.

She had been taught to be ashamed of her gender, to be proud of the crushing responsibility of the hopes they placed so selfishly on her young shoulders. She was worshiped, condemned, hated, feared and loved all at once. It was such a heavy burden for someone so young. Her purpose was vast and her world was pitifully small. There was no place to hide and nowhere to go. She was a less of a god and more like a caged animal. She knew no other way, no other alternative. She was trapped within expectations that weren't even fair.

Was she truly supposed to thrive under such conditions? Was she supposed to grow up to be a benevolent god? She had no freedom, no guidance. All the love she demanded was false, every courtesy coming from desperate fear and a sense of duty. And yet everyone was so surprised when she became a tyrant. Had her mother loved her, had she been allowed outside her room more often, she wouldn't have ended up so twisted. It wasn't her fault. But he was glad she had gone through all she had. It was fascinating to see how making a god out of a girl could crush someone so thoroughly. It had made her strong. Still, it was a wonder she got out of it all intact. He was grateful that the same fighting spirit that brought her down was able to lift her back up again. If it had destroyed her utterly he would have perished in grief.

But that summer, she was still sweet somewhere in there. Still hopeful. He could see somewhere deep in her eyes where the following years would take her, and he knew he couldn't stop it, couldn't do a damn thing. He knew she wouldn't stay sweet for long. Shigure knew in his soul that the pressure of being 'god' would break her before she turned twenty. It would break anybody. In her eyes, in her tears and in her anger, he knew it as well as he knew his own name, that one day it would all be just too much.

He had gone to visit her and he had thought at first that she was ignoring him. She made no sound, even as he called out to her. He discovered her on the floor near her bed, nearly unconscious. He remembers feeling his stomach drop at the sight of her prone in the floor, looking like a teenage girl and nothing like a god.

"Unbind me." She had said.

Of course, she could hardly be passed off for a boy if she had breasts. Thick bandages wound tightly around her entire torso and chest, and when he had finished unwrapping them, she took in a much needed deep breath. He could see where the bindings had dug into the tender skin, leaving red welts that looked incredibly sore. She was still a child, compared to him, but in that moment, she looked like a beautiful woman that had been through hell. That was precisely what she was. And from that moment on, that's what she was to him. He had known she was above him but that hadn't stopped him from soothing sore skin and from kissing her until bindings or no, she couldn't breathe. He simply couldn't help himself and neither could she. She had been condemned to isolation all her life, and an opportunity to be skin to skin with an actual human being was more precious than air to breathe.

From that day on he had bound her chest, so that he could do it loose enough that she could breathe. When she betrayed him and he went to Ren in revenge, he couldn't help but be sad that he would never unwrap her bindings again. It wasn't about the skin he uncovered; it was about the freedom she gained. No other woman made him feel like that, like he was setting them free from a trap. And when they were finally together after the curse she had no need to have her chest bound, but he still felt like he was setting her free and not just in a sexual way. She could be herself again. Akito was human with him. She was free from the crushing expectations of being 'god.' She could make mistakes and love and hate. She was free from suffering when she was with him.

Today she didn't have to have her chest bound. She was free from her cage. She didn't need him to breath. She had spiraled out of control and somehow, miraculously, she had turned it all around. All because he had taken the time to free her from everything that's kept her from breathing.

Now, for all his painstaking efforts, she was the reward.


	8. Night Owl

Bad Romance

She liked the night. She always had. When she was a child, the dark had never scared her, as it did most children. She could always feel the spirits of the zodiac, the fluctuations of their energy was soothing and at the same time stimulating. It was hard to explain. It was a one of the few comforts she had.

After her father died her world got darker. Her mother had no affection for her. But when she fell asleep, there was always the chance that she would dream about her father. She missed, craved, that relationship with her old man. But he was gone. When she slept he made the occasional cameo. That made her happy.

Sometimes she would wake up. Yuki would start coughing or she would have a nightmare. She would lie restless in bed, before summoning the courage to make her way to Shigure's room. Without fail he would pick her up, hold her, and murmur soft encouragements in her ear. He would carry her back to her room when she finally succumbed once more to sleep.

As she grew older, she began to see changes in how she saw Shigure. Their relationship changed. She began to look forward to the night for a whole new reason. Her days were filled with trials. Pain. He brought her the sweetest escape. In those moments late in the night, she felt less like God and more like an actual person. A woman.

She never did get that feeling with Kureno. She knew somewhere in there, that it was meaningless, crappy sex. That was because pity and loneliness were no substitute for true affection. In the dark of the night, however, the lines of his face were faded. With enough imagination, she could see him as someone else. She did that more than she would care to admit. If she didn't, it would be hard to touch him.

Sometimes, Shigure would be with her. He had betrayed her and she had broken his heart, but old habits die hard. The love they had for each other was twisted now, with the seeds of betrayal and hurt, but the attraction they felt, couldn't and wasn't denied.

It wasn't like it used to be. The sweetness was gone. She didn't care. Having him there in her ugly little world, in any way, was good enough for her.

After she stabbed Kureno, pushed Kisa, bullied Rin, the night helped her in another way. The guilt went away for a few precious moments while she slept, if she did sleep at all. If she didn't she could read or summon Kureno for company. Sometimes she just couldn't sleep no matter what she did. On those nights she would use the cover of night when everyone was sleeping to cry herself to sleep.

After the curse had departed, she missed the feel of the Zodiac. Everything was too quiet for her taste. Too meaningless. But once again the night had her back. From that day on Shigure's breathing lulled her to sleep. When she woke up he would coax her back to sleep, and vice versa. At night they often found themselves staying very much awake. If she couldn't sleep she could watch him sleep. He did look pretty damn cute in moonlight.

And when she ever cried, he would never let her do it alone.

She had always loved the night.


End file.
